Box-fastener.



, Patented Nov. 20, |900. M c. RYAN. BOX FASTENER.

(Application led Jan. 23, 1899.)

(No Mahal.)

11m/Emo@ @f/@W fzo@ ATTORNEY wHNEssEsi nire 'rares Partnr tric.

MICHAEL O. RYAN, OF OSWEGO, NEV YORK.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,31 1, dated.November 20, 190.

Application filed JanuaryZS, 189 9. Serial No. 703,081. KNO model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL C. RYAN, of Oswego, in the county of Oswego,in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inB0X-Fasteners, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to the class of'clasps in which the hasp isformed with spring-arms terminating with hooks which interlock with thecatch-plate.

The object of the invention is to provide a clasp in which thecatch-plate shall be devoid of projecting edges which are liable toinjure the hand of therperson coming in contact therewith and shalleffectually house and shield the engaged ends of the hasp-arms, so as toguard against accidental disengagement of the same and also prevent saidends from coming in contact with the hand or clothing of the personhandling the box or article to which the clasp is applied.

To that end the invention consists in the novel construction of myimproved clasp, as hereinafter fully described, and set forth in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a box having alid and provided with the clasp. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged verticaltransverse and longitudinal sections on lines X X and Y Y,respectively,- in Fig. 1; and Fig. et is a detail view of the detachedparts of the clasp.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the box, and B is its lid.

O denotes a catch-plate which is `secured to the front of the box. Saidplate is formed with a concavo-convex central protu berauce, and withits margin or attaching portion in a uniform plane and united directlyand gradually with said central protuberance around its entireperimeter, and thus obviating presentation of sharp edges7 which areliable to injure the hand of the person coming in contact with saidplate. In the center of the concavo-convex protuberance of the plate isa slot g, extending part way thelength thereof, so as to leave at theends of said slot shielded sockets ff, formed by the concavity of theplate.

To the top of the lid B is rigidly secured a tongue d, which projectsover the front edge f of said lid and is bent into the form of a sleeveextending across said tongue. In said sleeve is hinged the hasp, formedof springwire, the central portion c of which passes `through the sleevel), and the end portions are bent nearly or quite at right angles and inthe same direction from the central por-v tion and constituteutheclasp-arms d d, each of which terminates with a locking-hook e, bent inthe opposite direction of that of the other arm. In order to allow saidhooks to interlock with the catch-plate C, the hasparms d CZ are eachbent with an offset e' immediately back of the hook e, as clearly shownin Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

In operating the described clasp to close the same the hasp-arms d d areswung down onto the front of the protuberance of the catch-plate O. Thelocking-hooks e e of the hasp-arms then lie over the shielded socketsff. Then by compressing the arms d CZ toward each other, so as to placethe hooks over the slot g, and then while holding the said armscompressed pushing them toward the catch-plate the offsets e' e allowthe hooks e e to pass through the slot g, and then by allowing the endsof the hasp-arms d d to spring from each other the hooks eeare carriedinto the sockets ff, and thus become interlockedwith the catch-plate O,and when in this condition the locking-hooks e e are perfectly housedand shielded by the aforesaid sockets.

Vhat I claim as my invention is The improved clasp consisting of acatchplate formed with a hollow protuberance in its center and with amargin in a uniform plane and united with the protuberance around itsentire perimeter and provided with a slot in the protuberance, whichslot terminates with housing-sockets, and a hasp formed with IieXiblearms terminating with locking-hooks to enter into the aforesaid socketsand formed with offsets immediately back of said hooks to allow thelatter to pass through the slot in the aforesaid protuberance of thecatch-plate substantially' as described and shown.

MICHAEL O. RYAN.

Witnesses:

Louis C. Rowir., DAVID l?. MOREHOUSE.

IOO

